The Daily bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Hawaii]) 1882-1895, 1887-04-18
A SYSTEM BETTER ABOLISHED.

A SYSTEM BETTER ABOLISHED.
The recent advance upon the book
agents by the official forces of the
kingdom, compelling the payment
of n licence fee for the privilege of
selling books, is regarded by the
two classes most interested, the
visiting vendors and the regular
booksellers, with directly opposite
feelings-the latter with approba-
tion and the former with disap.
proval. 1t is natural enough that it
should be so, for the self-intcrest of
each is differently affected by the
act. Looked at from disinterested
and impartial standpoint, it must be
confessed that it is neither just nor
fair that visiting agent should be
accorded immunity from the pay
ment of taxes which are imposed
upon those permanently established
as importers and sellers of the same
class of article. The same may be
said with equal truth and force of
other lines of business, in which
considerable trading is done from
time to time by persons nuctuating
between here and San Francisco.
Rcverting back to the book agents,
a portion of the general public, re-
garding them as a kind of annoying
nuisance, rather given to intrusons
upon the precincts of privacy, would
levy upon them double or treble
fees, as prohibitive provision /;
while another class of the public,
more bOokish in taste and inclina-
ton, recognises the book-agent as
a medium through whom to secure
new and desirable books not procur-
able from local booksellers. and
therefore considers the restriction
of liccncc fee sas an embargo on
the increase of knowledge discredit-
able to the government of the coun-
try. The rational view of the ques-
ton is this: if the law commands
the payment of fee for the privi.
lege of selling, the law should be
enforced upon all alike, and the
itinerant vendor, who is here to-day
and away tomorrow, should Ger.
tainly not be allowed advantages
denied to those living in the coun.
try and regularly contributing tc
the revenue by which its govern
ment is maintained. In the recen
action of the authorities, just nov
alluded to, the particular partie
proceeded against have, however
a reasonable grievance on account o
the manner in which they were treat
cd. They were ignorant of the law
and excusably SO, considering tina
many before them had pursued th'
same avocation, unmolested, ant
unprotected by government docu
ment. They solicited and sol'
openly and publicly, knowing tina
others had done the same, and be
lieving that they had perfect righ
to do so. Suddenly and withou
warning, they were pounced upon
like criminals, dragged into the Police
Court, and charged with the breacl
of q law which had never befor,
been enforced, and which the police
authorities themselves had only JUS
then discovered the existence of.
was an easy matter and would hav'
cost nothing, to have civilly caution
ed these strangers that they wer
outside Of the regulations, and wer'
called upon to pay the regular fe
that is required of other traders
This probably would have saved th'
innocent offenders from the dis
agreeable experience of the Pllic
Court, and would have rehecte,
more credit for civil and gentle
manly procedure on the police au
thorities. But our object in agai
recurring to this subject is to ex